In survival analysis, use of the Cox proportional hazards model requires knowledge of all covariates under consideration at every failure time. Since failure times rarely coincide with observation times, time-dependent covariates need to be inferred from the observed values. In this...

This thesis includes two essays. Essay 1 analyzes the diffusion process of a cost-reducing technology innovation within an industry. Two factors generate the diffusion. The first factor is the gently declining production cost with the innovation, which makes technology adoption more profitable...